Monsters
by KStar
Summary: There are few things Sasuke Uchiha is completely certain about in this world. Naruto is one of them.


Title: **Monsters**  
Author: KStar  
Pairing: Naru/Sasu friendship  
Rating: K+ for one bad word  
A/N: I wrote this a while ago so I hope I got Sasuke in character. I can never tell what's going through his head except "KILL ITACHI".  
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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"Who, though they are of monstrous shape, yet, note,  
Their manners are more gentle-kind than of  
Our human generation you shall find  
Many, nay, almost any."  
-William Shakespeare

There are few things Sasuke Uchiha is absolutely certain about, but he knows Naruto is not a monster. Naruto is many things-annoyance, moron, dead last-, but "monster" is not one of them. Yet, Sasuke has seen how the villagers treat his bubbly blonde teammate. To them, he is the plague of their existence, the root of their problems, the creature of nightmares. When they look at Naruto with utter hate, scorn, and repulsion, their eyes see only the Kyuubi, a rabid beast only temporary chained down. They live in fear and sick pleasure for the day Naruto slips up and the fox demon is released once more. When Sasuke sees the faces of the Konoha villagers-civilians and shinobi alike-drip with naked contempt, he turns and glances back at Naruto because someone must have switched places with the boy behind him. There is no reason for anyone to look upon his loud, exuberant comrade like that. Even if he is annoying. However, all the Uchiha avenger sees is Naruto's never-ending, blinding grin, mischievous blue eyes, and shaggy blonde mop of hair.

Sasuke does _not_ care that Naruto houses the Kyuubi, and he isn't quite sure why everyone else _does_. So the fox demon massacred a bunch of people, destroyed a good portion of the Hidden Leaf Village, and subsequently caused the death of the much-loved Yondaime? Quite a few Uchiha were killed in the attack and no one sees Sasuke getting all worked up over his teammate about it. Naruto did not do those things. Naruto is not the Kyuubi; the demon is merely sealed up inside of him, and those are two very different things. The Kyuubi and Naruto are two separate beings, and Sasuke cannot believe how stupid people are to combine them. Naruto is the same number one hyperactive, knuckleheaded ninja he was two years ago, three months ago, last week, yesterday, ten minutes ago, and he isn't going to be any different in five minutes, tomorrow, or ten years from now.

Naruto is just like everyone else. He has two hands each with five fingers (except sometimes they are claws), two feet (except sometimes he crouches down on all fours), two eyes (except sometimes they are an animalistic red), a pair of lips (that sometimes hides enlarged canines), a nose (that sometimes is far too perceptive), and two ears (that sometimes are pointy and hear farther than they should). But Naruto can control Kyuubi. Especially as long as he has Sasuke because Sasuke is the only one who can banish the beast away without using a seal or special jutsu. Because Sasuke is the only one that looks at Naruto and isn't reminded of the demon inside of him. Even if Naruto doesn't look all that human sometimes, it doesn't mean he isn't one of the good guys. He won't turn on his friends or ravage the Leaf. Naruto loves Konoha more than anyone else Sasuke knows (although Sasuke can only wonder why because he hates the village).

Then again, Konoha is rather warped anyway. Like any shinobi village, they force their children to grow up too quickly and praise their geniuses even if said geniuses are not all that amazing. Their white-eyed Hyuuga ice prince is perfect in every way, and their traitorous avenger is their golden child just because of his crimson eyes. They never reprimand Kakashi's antisocial "weirdness," and to think Itachi and Orochimaru both almost became Hokages. Not once has anyone ever compared Sasuke to Itachi even if he is following in his murderous older brother's footsteps.

Sasuke does not understand why, but he supposes it is somehow related to the reason why Sakura never used to give Naruto a second glance and why Kakashi neglected his other two students in favor of training the Uchiha and why hard work is always sub par to a cool bloodline limit. However, Sasuke, deep down, thinks that way of thinking is rather stupid, and he does not wish to associate himself with stupid people. It is one of his secondary reasons for leaving Konoha for Oto.

Sasuke knows what Naruto is, and if the idiot villagers want to continue calling him a monster, then so be it, and he will laugh at the day when that mindset comes back to bite them in the ass. Sure, Naruto is a brainless dope who rushes into things without thinking. He is a loser, an amateur, a slob, a pig, a bleeding heart, a fashion disaster, and an idiot who never knows when to give up. But he is also a selfless martyr, an fearless knight, an unpredictable ninja master, a devoted little brother…he is the kind of guy who befriends everyone and never leaves his precious people behind. Naruto Uzumaki is a hero.

Sasuke is certain about all of these things when it comes to his teammate, but he is most sure of the fact Naruto is not a monster. Sasuke Uchiha knows monsters, knows them so well he is definite that his best friend is not one.

A monster is what sank its fangs into his shoulder in the Forest of Death, filling him with a bitter hatred and lust for power.

A monster is what massacred his entire family and left him in a pool of blood with a slowly deteriorating sanity.

A monster is what Sasuke Uchiha sees every time he looks into the mirror.  
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